The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-29
A CONJURED MULE.
A Woman's Experience With Florida
Negro Witch.
From the Meao York Tribune

| WHITE ROLLING PINES, FLA, Dec. 21-
Melausa was very serious at breakfast this
morning. 1t was not until we were renew
ing what Ronald calls the ''anti-ant water
in which the legs of our table constantly re-
pose as safeguard for the food thereon
that my friend revealed the subject of her
Thoughts Then she confided to me that she
was unable to think Of anything but Honest
Ben. 1t may be remembered that Honest
Ben'was the name of Melausa's mule. She
says he never deceives one in any
way, for he never pretends that he is
going to do anything but walk, and be
never does. That is, he never did until yes
terday. She asked me if had noticed that
she was gone longer than usual when she
made her daily trip to the post office. ]
was obliged to confess that two or three
hours, more or less did not notice, for it is
matter of half aday for her to go the mile
and half to the village. 1t REQ lures much
less time for either of us to walk than to go
with the mule, but as my friend says she
bought the mule to ride, and she must ride,
or lose all the money she paid for 1t. Be
side, time is of no Importance here anyway.
Honest Ben not only will not trot or canter,
but he frequently stops and stands still for
five minutes. His owner says he has never
deceived about this, either; there isn't a bit
of deceit about him, anyway He
doesn't stop to rest; his object in thus linger-
ing appears to be to enable him to collect
his though S and bring them to bear more
forcibiy upon whatever topic may occupy
his mind at the time. Melausa thinks be is
II mathematician, and is frequently involved
in the struggle TO solve an abtruse prob EN-.
Besides these mathematical propensities.
another development occurred yesterday.
II went somewhere besides to the p. ST.
Office" she said ut seemed !, me | must
get out Of that path, if only to see a few
other pine trees, even though I couldn't
have tod them from the pine trees | see
every day; only it was something to know
they were not the same ones.
"As you leave the village, you remember
there is way that opens along the rivers
edge, where two big palmetto trees stand.
The general direction is slightly toward
home, and [ thought I could branch off
when | chose, aud come back here to the
settlement. 1t took Honest Ben a great
while to get really into the new way and
we had only gone a few rods beyond the
palmettos when he stopped. / thought at
first he had merely paused to work out q
problem, and sat still, of course, for there
was nothing else for me to do. could see
the water bending away at my left, curving
off in the binding glitter of the sun.
could see some great white Southern BIRDS,
too, flying low toward the river; and once
gayly painted little steamboat puffed by.
carrying party of men and women who
laughed great de L. 1t looked hot out on
the water, but where was the air was de-
lightful. l was quite happy for half hour.
At the end of that time | wished could 90
on. for saw long snake dangling down
from tree-limb that hung far over the wa
ter To my extreme JOY and amazement,
Honest Ben began to walk forward the mo-
ment asked him. He went perhaps a
quarter of a mill. and he seemed to Le leay-
ing the river, when be stopped again. And
when he stopped, a small black boy in a
striped shirt came out toward me. men,
ton the shirt particularly, because it was
all the garment he Aore, therefore the only
one that could be mentioned. He did not
seem to loook at me at all, but fixed his
eyes on the mule, end stared with all his
power. The mule seemed uneasy for the
first time in my acquaintance with him.
He even raised his hind legs littIe-was IL
possible he was about to do something not
strictly honestl The black boy turned and
ran, crying out oh. granny! Dat ar cum
jured mule am darr"
Me.ausa alised in the washing of the
breakfast dishes and turned to Ronald. who
was listening.
''Now," she said, Ronald, you have been
here longer than have. want you to
to me what cuniured mule isF'
Certainly" sad my nephew, brislzly.
at is--why, it is--why, it is a cunjured
mule But how did you get awayg'
II didn't, Tor good while. can't tell
how felt, sitting on a strange animal that
had been cunjured. tits sensation unlike
ANYTHING | have ever experienced before.
The boy had appeared to 20 into hut of
bushes. es nearly as l could tell. In vain